Thursday, April 26, 2012

Is
this the year that your yard will be the talk of the neighborhood – in a
good way? Your tax return can fund a number of outdoor home renovation / improvement
projects that can increase the curb appeal – and your enjoyment – of
your home. From affordable DIY projects to major additions that require
the skilled labor of a local contractor, here’s a quick look at some
popular home renovation & improvement projects for the spring and
summer.

Re-sod Your Lawn

A
raggedy, ill-maintained lawn can turn even the prettiest lot into an
eyesore. Get rid of the bare patches and crabgrass with an all-out
makeover. Tearing up and re-sodding or re-seeding a lawn isn’t a project
that requires a lot of skill, but it is time and work-intensive. You
can rent the necessary tools to make the work easier, but it’s easier
still to hire a local contractor skilled in doing lawn care and
maintenance to do the work for you. You can even contract with the lawn
maintenance company to take care of the mowing and upkeep throughout the
summer – and generally for a very affordable cost.

Plant Flower Beds

Flower
beds along the frontage of your property or lining the paths are a
quick and easy way to give your home an instant facelift. Gardening may
be a pleasure for some, but even avid gardeners might prefer to avoid
the backbreaking labor of preparing a flower bed for the first time.
Depending on the size of your intended flower patches, you can probably
hire a local contractor with a cultivator to break up the lawn, turn the
soil and add any amendments needed – and leave you the fun work to do.

Extend Your Kitchen

Turn your backyard into a complete outdoor kitchen.
Professional contractors are expert at building out a patio or deck and
outfitting it with everything you need to entertain in style. Working
with a local contractor gives you a number of advantages over doing it
yourself, including the fact that most pros have connections with local
distributors of appliances and construction materials. That often means
that local contractors can often work deals and get their hands on hard-to-find items that will turn your backyard into a showplace.

As
a bonus, each of these home renovations & improvements actually add
more value to your house. They’re among the top ten renovation projects
that provide a decent return on investment when it comes to the
valuation of your house for sale.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

We
are a DIY society. It fits the rugged American spirit and the can-do
attitude that typifies it. If you watch television, you’ll see all the
ads for the big box home improvement / renovation
stores focusing on the industrious homeowner who does it all – builds
his own deck, paints his own house, cares for his own lawn and does his
own landscaping. It’s no wonder that most homeowners are almost
embarrassed to admit that honestly, they’d rather not DIY all their home
improvement & renovation projects.

There
are certainly some advantages to doing your home improvement &
renovation projects yourself. Generally, it’s less expensive if you
provide the labor yourself, and there’s a certain sense of
accomplishment in pointing to your new tiled wall or brick patio and
saying, “I did that myself.”

On
the other hand, there are also some major disadvantages, especially if
you’re not skilled in doing the work in question. Some projects can be
accomplished relatively easily by anyone who is detail-oriented and can
follow directions. Some home renovation or home repair projects,
however, require specialized trade knowledge and skills. If you mess up
on painting your living room walls, for example, you’ll just have to
live with a few drips or a sloppy job. If you mess up on a plumbing job,
on the other hand, you could end up having to pay a plumber big bucks
for an emergency repair job.

So
when should you turn to a local professional contractor to handle your
home improvement & renovation projects? The answer will vary
according to your skills, abilities and the time you have available, but
in general, you should opt for a contractor under the following
circumstances.

The Job Requires Specialized Skills or a Licensed Contractor.

Electrical
and plumbing jobs – especially those that involve heating systems and
natural gas – should be done by a professional contractor, or at least
inspected by one. Making a mistake on an electrical job or a job
involving natural gas can create a major safety hazard. If you’re not
experienced with them, call in a professional to handle the task.

You Own a Rental or Commercial Property.

Check
with your local code office about who can perform certain jobs in a
commercial or rental property. At the very least, in jobs that involve
safety issues, you’ll have to have your work inspected by a professional
in order to have it approved.

You Want to Sell Your Property.

If
you’re making home repairs, home improvements & renovations with an
eye to increasing your property value, it makes sense to pay a
professional contractor and get a quality job. The television DIY programs make it look easy, but when the results are important, the extra dollars can make a big difference.

You Just Don’t Want to Do It Yourself.

The
very best reason of all to engage a professional to do your home
improvement / renovation jobs is that you’d rather relax and watch
someone else work. You can almost always find an affordable contractor for any job you want done if you shop around online and get several bids on your job.